PowerShot SX150 IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide-Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 3.0-Inch LCD (Black) (OLD MODEL)

I got this camera at an amazing price on Black Friday and I couldn't be happier. Before this camera I had another canon camera, the Powershot A610, which was a great camera but after so many years with it, I wanted a little more without having to spend more than 200 dollars. The tryout: I have been trying the SX150is under different conditions: Under lots of sunlight, at night, taking pictures from my car, with my dogs, cloudy days and so far the pictures have been amazing. I haven't had any problems using the 3 inch screen under very sunny days. The zoom of this camera is lots of fun, especially on video mode, I was in a race track the other day and it was cool to use it to not miss any part of the action, even when the cars were far away on the other side of the track. Yes, it's true that it is a little bulky, you might not be able to slide it inside your jeans pockets but, just like somebody wrote, that's where your cellphone should go, not your camera. It's easy to use with just one hand while your other hand has a soda or a beer, so no need to worry that you will miss enjoying the food and drinks at the BBQ because you decided to take pictures. The Flash: Before getting the camera I was kinda worried about it, since you gotta be pulling it up if you want to use it. The truth is that once I got my camera and started taking pictures I didn't feel that was a problem, the camera lets you know if you need flash, although there are sooo many ways to take great pictures with this camera without even thinking of using the flash. Taking pictures at night is awesome, I haven't seen cameras on this price range taking pictures in low light with the quality that this camera gives you. The flash does take a little bit to load, but it is not a big problem for me, it's not like you have to sit or make people hold a smile for 30 seconds so that you can take a picture with flash. I have read some complaints about battery issues but, that shouldn't be a problem if you buy good rechargeable batteries. I got for this camera four (4) 3100 mAh rechargeable batteries and it's a whole big difference when you compare them with what alkaline batteries or lithium batteries can give you. The fun part is that, in case your rechargeable batteries run dry, you can always get some AA anywhere you are and keep having fun with your camera until you can recharge them again, so my advice is that if you have this camera and you don't want to be one of those people giving crappy scores to this camera just because they are too hard headed to keep feeding this camera with normal batteries, spend a little over 10 dollars in batteries as the ones I got, I spent a whole afternoon taking pictures and videos with these batteries without having to recharge them. To make this short, if you want the best camera that money can buy for less than 200 dollars, this is it. No other camera will give you the quality or the features that this one has. I'm very happy with what this camera offers, it has been way more than what I expected. You won't regret it and remember: BUY GOOD RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES!! It's just silly to keep seeing people writing complaints about using this camera with normal batteries of little capacity.

I consider this product to be the very best in its class, especially at the current price point (I paid just under 100 U.S. dollars). The image quality is very spot on with little artifacting even when capturing low-light moments. I enjoy all the features as they are very useful & well thought out. The only slight drawback I have found thus far whilst using this camera is the lifespan of alkaline batteries, which is easily remedied by switching to rechargable NiMH types. I purchased an expanded set of NiMH that included eight AA & four AAA including charger for 30 U.S. dollars, ensuring plenty of captured moments, and also saves money on other devices in my collection. [including remote controls & wireless video game controllers, etc.) The full auto setting on this device is worth the admission price alone & even though there is a bit of an initial delay when first using the auto-flash feature, the time becomes quite workable, especially after getting used to it. I enjoy shooting pictures with this camera as it is much more portable than my T3i. I always bring the SX150 IS with me as it certainly makes for a convienent companion to the above mentioned camera. I leave a 75-300mm zoom on the T3i, mounted on a tripod & use the SX150 IS to complement the shooting session & the entire setup can be swapped for even better results. [I shoot mostly musical performing artists]. The ease of use, coupled with breath-taking image quality with the ability to easily create prints up to 11x14 for framed wall mountings makes the Canon SX150 IS a must have for everyone, especially those who require prosumer quality without a very steep learning curve. My teenage little ones have quickly learned to enjoy capturing images using this camera & they prefer the ease of use over the 'big boy' DSLR. Enough said. I believe everyone who chooses to buy this product will be quite satisfied with the resulting experience of owning such a quality piece of equipment. Post Script - I have not mentioned the video functionality of this device simply because I prefer using dedicated video cameras whenever shooting movies.

Most new cameras these days all have rechargeable batteries, with many being unique to that brand. I had to have a camera that takes AA batteries that I always keep on hand to change them when I am in the middle of nowhere. I also needed a camera that took the same USB cable for uploading to my desk top computer. The wrist strap from my old Canon also fits, as well as my old 32 GB memory card. At first, the camera never turned on, so I switched the batteries around from positive side on the outside and moved to the inside for this model. And best of all, I only paid less than $62 with free shipping from an Amazon partner. It arrived looking brand new. It feels a lot like my old SX120, but with a lot more added features. For this price, I just cannot lose. When I first tried filming movies with my dog, I used the dial on top to move to the green movie icon. It only took still shots and I had feared that the movie function did not work at all. Then the memory of what my college professors had always told me came back. Read the book! I read the manual that I had downloaded as a PDF file from Canon. That green movie icon was only for advanced movie making. Instead of pressing the shutter on top of the camera, there is a red movie button on the back of the camera to do what the SX120 had done before. Voila! That worked, thank goodness. I took it outside and used various zoom functions while filming. This model is MUCH better than my old SX120. Image stabilization also removes lots of the shake that comes with using the zoom lens. As for still shots with maximum optical zoom, most were crisp and clear. So what if a few were not. The bloopers can be discarded with a 32GB memory card. I always take multiple shots when using maximum zoom just so that I can discard any bloopers. So far, I am very happy with my purchase decision. However, I am already looking at ordering 4 AA Eneloop NiMH batteries with a charger. This could very well give me the best of both worlds. And yes, this camera does indeed eat up standard AA batteries, as in one pair per day with only about two dozen stills and a half dozen movies each day. For still shots, it will just shut off after the shot with no warning. While filming movies, it will just stop filming after about 5 seconds, again with no warning. I really need those Eneloops, which did not exist about 10 years ago (to the best of my knowledge). By the way, instead of ordering this refurbished camera, I could have used my old waterproof Nikon Coolpix S33, but it only has a 3X zoom. It was mainly good for underwater photos and video or photographing concerts in the pouring down rain. I truly missed my Canon Power Shot. Update May 3, 2025: I looked through the old movies that I took with this camera 5 years ago, since I considered planning on another major trip. It's weakness is zooming in while filming, which creates jittery images. Then one of the reviews on here mentioned that one has to wait 13 seconds on the proper chosen zoom before filming. My fault, so I don't need to upgrade this camera that has never failed me in more than 5 years. I just tested this advice and it worked fine. However, a tripod is needed on 12X zoom. By the way, the Eneloop AA batteries REALLY helped to solve battery problems! And after looking at the ratings for many of the Amazon sellers on here, I should just give up on the idea of replacing this work horse. If it works, don't fix it!

I would say I'm a fairly decent photographer snapping photos, home and abroad for about the last 40 years. I purchased the Powershot SX150 in May for a 10 day cruise in Alaska. I've also used it for a few other weekenders and day hikes since then. So this camera has got some good usage under different but average conditions in the last 3 months. I'm satisfied with the quality of the photos. Battery life is fine. I'm not sure what people are complaining about. I just bought several pairs of rechargeable batteries. Even with all the photos I was snapping of my family on the cruise I never noticed myself having to constantly change batteries. Battery usage was not an issue. Double AA batteries was an actually a feature I wanted in a camera since I know I can easily bring along several pairs of rechargeable batteries which can be shared with my other electronics, such as my GPS. Size of camera is a little larger than your average point and shoot, but this was never an issue. On my trips and hikes I had the camera in a belt pouch and it never felt overly bulky or in the way. Interfacing with the camera is easy and logical. Most used features/options are usually one or two button clicks away. I also wanted a camera with features similar to a SLR camera, such as shutter and aperture priority which most point and shoots do not offer. The large 3" viewing screen is a nice feature to review/show photos and easily read the different options. Value is excellent. There are more than enough features that you'll ever need. The best and most used feature is the powerful zoom. One can get some great effects with the zoom. I noticed no drop off in quality. However at the higher magnifications you'll need to anchor the camera on a sturdy base. I only noticed two minor drawbacks. The first is the flash recycle time. Like other people have commented, the flash does seem to take an extra second or two to recharge compared to other point and shoots. The second is when taking macro shots with a flash, the lens barrel projects a shadow in the photo - this is minor unless you do this type of photography all the time. This is a great camera for the value. The Powershot SX150 is a versatile camera, perfect for the photographer who wants to use it for every day conditions and/or on trips with some advance features of an SLR.

I tried this camera in the store and thought it was the one for me. It seemed to take pictures quickly which is the main thing I was looking for. I was sorely disappointed when I started using this camera and each time I took a picture with the flash the screen would go black for about 9 seconds and say charging flash. The camera also ate my batteries. I asked a cousin who does photography professionally and she said because the camera has a really good flash, but only takes 2 AA batteries, the batteries are not sufficient enough for the flash. That is why it has to charge the flash and it's why it eats batteries. This was my second Cannon that I have bought and returned, I haven't owned a Cannon before, but I have not been impressed so far. I was not looking for a perfect, professional camera, just one that was better than my Kodak and took pictures quick so I could take pictures of my kids. I bought a Fujifilm and am very impressed and satisfied with it. FujiFilm FinePix S3280 14MP Digital Camera Bundle w/ 24x Optical Zoom, 3.0" LCD Display

This is a "point and shoot" that may be operated in a fully manual mode. The point and shoot performance is great, but this camera does much more for people that want to fully control a camera. Manual focus, aperture, and shutter may be controlled using a fully manual mode or a number of programmed settings. Image quality is top flight due to a nice detector and a fine lens. The 12x zoom range on the lens takes very wide images and a good zoom for its physical size and cost. The continuous shooting mode in manual is great for wildlife. The manual mode makes it well suited for GigaPan billion pixel panoramas. Heavy field use (backpacking etc.) of a camera can create problems - like internal dust, that are expensive to repair (~$100). This has happened to my SX110 and SX130. Extendable lens cameras can inhale dust into the space between lenses if not kept clean (keep cameras wrapped in microfiber cloths and bagged). Spending more on cameras that are likely to meet the same fate is not appealing. So, having a camera that works great that I can afford to replace is important to me. It would be nice if this camera shot 1080p rather than simply doing a great job of 720p. However, the SX150 does such a fine job of taking still photos (my main intended purpose) and has a price point that makes it the best value for me. It is true that this camera is a bit large, due to the versatile lens. But the capabilities and controls convince me that that Canon still has real photographers influencing the designing and using their equipment. The SX series of Canon Cameras are a very good for experienced or learning photographers, and continue to be the best value for my use.

I can't leave a very long review, because the item I received (while cosmetically perfect and new in the box) was defective. It had an electrical fault, which meant that it churned through my first and second sets of new alkaline AA batteries in about fifteen minutes (and ten photos) each - and the third set registered empty the moment I put them in. Be mindful as you read this, that I'm loyal to the Canon brand, and am comparing this machine to what I've used of their cameras in past years. If you're a convert from a brand like Panasonic, you might be rightfully wowed by what Canon delivers in the SX150IS. However, personally, I'm disappointed. Canon has excellent photo quality, and this camera appears to be no exception to that rule. Certainly, this model has more resolution, and therefore less dreaminess in the color quality than my 6 megapixel S3IS model I was so fond of and which was stolen from me last spring in Hawaii. The SX150IS case visually looks very nice: it's matte, rather than glossy - which means that the suave look will last longer. Sadly, however, the camera somehow isn't made in a way that molds to your hand, unlike the S3 series. The SX150 does have a nice weight to it, though - and thus feels very professional (and this probably helps to stabilize panning while taking films). I'm kind of disappointed that camera technology hasn't iterated as quickly in five years as you would expect from computer desktop technology or cell phone tech. Certainly, there are some important improvements to button layout, including dedicated picture review button, and on/off button, and a little bit easier layout of the functions around the wheel. That will no doubt make a huge difference for good in a person's day-to-day use of the camera. Even using a tripod, the quality of the photos at the full extent of the optical zoom is really tawdry; it's almost as if you passed the photo through an "oil-paint" photoshop filter. There's a reason why people want an optical zoom rather than a digital zoom, and there doesn't seem to be much improvement with this camera. The one really thoughtful bit of engineering that I immediately was impressed with, is that the screen is actually set back half a centimeter - behind a piece of plexiglass which is, itself, flush with the housing. This means that while the plastic (why don't manufacturers ever want to use glass?!) might get scratched up from keys in the pocket, it is protected from any more serious damage.

Now that i've had the sx150 for a while now-few weeks i guess i'm happy with what i got. Can not expect the world for $150.00 can you. It does more things well than not well. If it had a CMOS image chip of good quality instead of a CCD chip it would be killer value above the price point. But what it has is indeed very good for the price point, a very good value. I am not a pro user but have owned pro level equipment, the SX 150 IS does a very good job for what it is and what it costs. If you want an under $200.00 camera that has good image quality and will handle most scenes well,you could do much worse. Also a point to think about....if your out using the camera and your batteries become low, slap in some good AA's and keep going. Can not do that with many of the newer units now, AA's are on the way out. That said, high capacity AA nimh batts will serve you well. Have 2 sets and you will be fine. It will eat thru regular alkaline batts fairly quickly - most digi cams do, so not a real big deal there. The sum up. A very good camera for the money. Do not expect DSLR performance and you will be pleased, for $150 nothing will give you that level of performance. And no digital camera for $150 is perfect in every way. Keep the iso speed down and the image quality is very good, go above iso 400 it gets a bit noisy - but still very useable. The only real issue i have with this camera is maximum low light shutter time - 15 secs. 30 or 45 secs would be great, however a lot of noise to deal with at an exposure time that long using a CCD image device. But hey, i can live with it as it is. Well worth the money spent overall i feel happy to recommend this camera without reservation. It's an act hard to follow for the money spent and features given, want $1.500 DSLR performance? thats what you need to buy. Want a really good all around camera for not a lot of $$, you'll be very happy with the Canon SX 150 IS